The “Hill of the Impala”: The name “Kampala” originated from a British official, Captain Frederick Lugard. The name is a simplified version of the Luganda phrase Kasozi k’empala, meaning “hill of the impala,” which referred to the area that is now called Old Kampala Hill.
A city on hills: Kampala was originally known as the “city of seven hills.” Over time, the city expanded and is now said to be spread across 21 hills.
Capital city status: Kampala was declared a town in 1906, an administrative municipality in 1949, and officially became a city in 1962, the same year Uganda gained independence.